Attachment for brooms.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

Nol800,886.

G. M. THOMPSON. ATTACHMENT FOR BROOMS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905 Application filed August 29, 1904. Serial No.222,630-

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OoRA M. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Leland, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Brooms,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to attachment for brooms; and its object is toprovide new and improved means by which a scrubbing-cloth orprotecting-cloth may be readily and conveniently fastened over broomsand which may be readily disengaged, so that the broom may be used inits ordinary way. As is well known, it is frequently desirable in usinga broom for scrubbing or mopping certain kinds of floors or for certainwork in which it is not desirable to use the broom itself that a pieceof cloth or other suitable material be fastened over the broom for thatpurpose. It may also frequently be desirable, to protect the broom, tocover it with cloth or similar material, which may be readily removedwhen occasion demands. It is the object of my invention to provide a newand improved device for securing such cloth on the broom.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my device. Fig. 2 isan enlarged detail of the hinged end of my device, showing the spring bywhich it is normally held open; and Fig. 3 shows my device applied to abroom.

Referring to the drawings, 4 5 indicate two side frames preferablyformed of wire bent into the form substantially of a long rectangle, asis shown in Fig. 1. These two side frames are hinged together at one endby a hinge 6. The length of the hinge 6 is such that when the two sideframes are clasped upon the broom in the manner hereinafter describedthey will have to be pressed together firmly against the broom, whichwill tend to force them outward when clasped, so that, as hereinafterdescribed, they may beheld firmly inplace.

7 indicates a latch which is preferably formed of spring metal and whichis hinged at one end to the side frame 5 and is provided at the otherend with a bent-over portion 8, which is adapted to spring over andengage the free end of the other side piece 4, so as to clasp the devicefirmly upon the broom. 9 indicates a series of projecting points whichare adapted to pierce the cloth or other similar material with which thebroom is covered and to enter sufliciently deeply between the fibers ofthe broom to secure the cloth in place. These points are preferablyformed upon two ends of a piece of wire, which, as shown in Fig. 1, iscoiled near its middle around one arm of each side piece and outer endsare coiled around the other arm, so as to leave the pointed endsprojecting inwardly a suitable distance. They may, however, be fastenedin any other approved way.

10 indicates a spring which is applied to the hinged end of the deviceand is adapted to normally hold the two side pieces apart, as is shownin Fig. 2. This spring, as shown in Fig. 2, is preferably formed of twopieces of spring-wire twisted together near their central portions andhaving their free ends eX- tending around the hinge and embracing thetwo side frames.

Fig. 3, as was said above, shows the manner in which the device isapplied to a broom. The cloth or other suitable material with which itis desired to cover the broom is placed upon the broom. The appliance isthen placed around the cloth and the open ends pressed together andlatched by the latch 7 The points 9 will therefore project through thecloth and into the fibers of the broom, and together with the pressureexerted upon the device by its being clasped tightly around the broomthe spring Will hold the latch firmly in place and the covering upon thebroom.

That which Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In an attachment for brooms, the combination with two side members,of ahinge member hinging the side members together at one end, a claspmember at the other end adapted to secure the side members upon thebroom, a plurality of inward-projecting points, and a spring adapted tonormally hold said members in their open position, substantially asdescribed.

2. An attachment for securing covering to brooms, consisting of two sidemembers each composed of Wire bent to form two side and tions of theside members at the other end two end portions, Wires bent around theside upon the broom, substantially as described. portions of said sidemembers and having their 1 I free ends pointed to enter the fibers ofthe (jORA EHOMPSON' broom, a hinge member connecting the end Vtitnesses:portions of the side members at one end, and V CHARLOTTE I. BURKE,

a clasp member adapted to clasp the end por- HARRIET I. HAMANN.

